A creator’s haven, Pinterest, has once again launched an offering with the goal of allowing creators to put out varied content.
Riding on the coattails of the short-form video content offerings such as Tik-Tok and Instagram reels, Pinterest has launched “TV studio.” The app is a spin-off of the already existing Idea Pins feature.
This comes on the heels of a series of expansion efforts by the company, including last November’s new launch, the Pinterest TV. Pinterest TV has live, shoppable videos from creators on the app, surrounding topics such as food, fashion, lifestyle, and more.
At the time of the launch, the feature was only available to very few people. The roster included heavyweights such as Manny MUA, Olympic Medalist Tom Daley, and fashion designer Christian Siriano.
However, earlier in the year, Pinterest experimented with a few top creators to gauge the popularity of such an initiative. Very similar to its current approach with TV Studio.
Development and the features of the app
The company has already been working on this project since the debut of Idea Pins. Idea Pins was a video-first combination of TikTok-style short-form video content and tapable Instagram stories. It also allowed creators to add stickers, background audio, and music.
Unsurprisingly, they noted in theirfirst quarter earnings a 25% increase in the save rate of Idea Pins in their first quarter earnings from quarter to quarter.
To build on the momentum from the success of Idea Pins, Pinterest started working on TV studio.
The app is intended to provide livestream creators with the following features:
- Enhanced streaming setups with multiple camera compatibility
- Provide enhanced editing tools
- Enable online shopping via livestreaming.
A company representative shared, ”With more Creators developing innovative programming with Pinterest TV on the Platform, we’re continuously experimenting with new ways to help Creators bring their ideas to life.”
Pinterest TV studio’s debut on the play store
The Pinterest TV studio app went live on Google Play and the iOS app store on May 2nd, 2022. However, they kept the whole affair somewhat secretive.
In fact, currently, the app is not accessible to all. According to a report by TechCrunch, to access the livestreaming tools provided by the app, creators must first input a code or scan a barcode provided by the company.
Nevertheless, the application is available in app stores outside the US, including Canada, Germany, Australia, and the UK. This indicates plans for a more global launch of the application.
The Road Ahead for Pinterest
Pinterest is clearly aiming for the fast-growing livestream shopping market. And why not? It is estimated to be a $400 billion industry in China alone.
Aside from this, last year, they also announced a feature for brands to promote ideas and products to users to increase online shopping on the site. Using this feature, brands will be able to upload their product catalogs for advertisements. Pinterest will automatically pull the items into a slideshow advertisement tailored to the users' interests.
Moreover, the TV studio app will also become more widely available. Hence, livestream shopping will become far more accessible for fans of the app.
